According to Satyal, “I wrote the book that I needed as a kid and didn't have, so it seems particularly relevant to the events of this past week to make a story about transcending homophobia available to readers of all stripes.”

BLUE BOY tells the story of Kiran Sharma: lover of music, dance, and all things sensual; son of immigrants, social outcast, spiritual seeker. A boy who doesn't quite understand his lot—until he realizes he's a god... As an only son, Kiran has obligations—to excel in his studies, to honor the deities, to find a nice Indian girl, and, above all, to make his mother and father proud—standard stuff for a boy of his background. If only Kiran had anything in common with the other Indian kids besides the color of his skin. They reject him at every turn, and his cretinous public schoolmates are no better. Cincinnati in the early 1990s isn’t exactly a hotbed of cultural diversity, and Kiran’s not-so-well-kept secrets don’t endear him to any group. Playing with dolls, choosing ballet over basketball, taking the annual talent show way too seriously… the very things that make Kiran who he is also make him the star of his own personal freak show.

BLUE BOY was named “Best Debut Fiction” of 2009 by the Lambda Literary Foundation. Rakesh Satyalis a graduate of Princeton University, where he studied comparative literature and writing. Currently an editor at HarperCollins, he is also on the planning committee of the annual PEN World Voices Festival. He sings a popular cabaret show that has been featured widely, from “Page Six” to the New York Observer. He lives in New York City. More info can be found at: www.rakeshsatyal.com